Where Were You

Today I drove to Milwaukee for a presentation given by the Superintendent of the Louisiana Recovery School District, Patrick Dobard. He was super inspiring, and the experience really made me ask myself whether I'm really doing what I'm called to do. He talked all about how our schools are failing our most vulnerable kids and what we can do about it.

One thing that was super interesting to contemplate about what he said was that Hurricane Katrina, as devastating as it was, actually created an opportunity to start fresh. Jackson Browne's song captures some of the mayhem and the upheaval of the storm:

Where were you in the social order
Lower nine or a hotel in the Quarter
Which side of the Quarter between rich and poor?

Where were you gonna evacuate to?
Assuming there was any way to
Where if you didn't own a car

Where were you, where were you?

Where were you when you understood?
However decent, however good
However hard some people try
They only barely make it by
They're born to live their entire lives
In harm's way

So now where are we gonna go?

There's no question that it was a devastating experience for all concerned, but it also created an opportunity that the recovery school district has used to more than double poor kids' test scores in NOLA! They're trying to do the same thing in other cities like Shreveport and Baton Rouge, but it's more complicated when all the old power structures remain in place and no new money is flowing in:

However hard this country strives
Where property is valued more than lives
How strong will we ever really be?
How long do we imagine we'll be free?

Tbat's a good question, Jackson, and one I'm grappling with this week more than I have been in a long time. I was listening to a book on tape that was talking about the infinite inside us versus the finite outside, which also applies to relationships. They are finite, but even when they end, the infinite still lives on in all of us. The author talked about being led by the infinite more -- and it's a direction I'm feeling willing, or maybe compelled, to head in. Because the infinite in me cannot and will not accept that our public schools aren't serving all kids, giving them all a shot at better lives.

But what am I doing about it? Where am I?